The Ministry of Education has expressed strong dissatisfaction with the quality and quantity of meals being served to students under the Free Senior High School (SHS) program, triggering an urgent nationwide audit to reform the current school feeding system.

Addressing a press briefing at the Presidency, Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu revealed that the Ministry is actively reviewing the decentralized feeding policy to make significant adjustments to improve outcomes.

“Under the proposed new framework, the Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS) will oversee the supply of perishable food items, while the National Food Buffer Stock Company will handle grains and other non-perishable staples,” Mr Iddrisu explained.

He clarified that the government has no intention of scrapping decentralization entirely but is prepared to modify it where necessary. “It is not our wish to reverse the decentralization decision – far from it,” he said. “Since my appointment as minister, and working closely with the Director-General of the Free SHS Secretariat, funds have been released directly to facilitate procurement.”

He added: “Between December and yesterday, we have disbursed between GH₵500 million and GH₵600 million; just today, I am aware that GH₵203 million, GH₵208 million, and an additional GH₵100 million have been released.”

Despite the funding, the Minister admitted that food quality remains a pressing concern. “We are simply not satisfied with the quantity and quality of the food being provided,” he stated. “This is why we are re-engaging stakeholders and repositioning our approach to ensure shared responsibility. We remain in the consultation phase, but where necessary, we will reverse the policy.”

The government’s revised plan will likely see up to 40 percent of perishable supplies handled by CHASS, while Buffer Stock and the Ghana Commodity Exchange take responsibility for staples like rice, maize, and beans.

Mr Iddrisu shared a personal anecdote to illustrate the urgency of the situation: “I am not typically a WhatsApp user, but the President insisted I join. Since then, I have received disturbing images of poor-quality gari and palm nuts being served in schools. Such standards are wholly unacceptable.”

He further revealed that the Ministry’s Internal Audit Unit has been tasked with conducting a comprehensive nationwide review of the feeding program and presenting a detailed report.

Meanwhile, discussions with CHASS are ongoing to ensure consensus on the way forward. “We are actively negotiating and working with CHASS to ensure shared responsibility and improved outcomes,” the Minister concluded.